Quartinia parcepunctata Richards, 1962

Gess, Friedrich W., 2011, The genus Quartinia Ed. Andre, 1884 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Masarinae) in Southern Africa. Part IV. New and little known species with complete venation, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 21, pp. 1-39 : 14-16

Quartinia parcepunctata Richards Figs 42-48

Quartinia parcepunctata Richards 1962: 133 and 135 (key), 167-169, female, male. Holotype: female, South Africa: Western Cape: Cape Town (United States National Museum). - Gess 1996: 246 (flower visiting); Carpenter 2001: 27 (listed); Gess and Gess 2003: 61 (flower visiting).

Diagnosis.

Medium to large (4.3-5.2 mm). Fore wing with Cu1a and 2 m-cu complete and as thick as the other veins. Tegula whitish-yellow (other than for testaceous to ferruginous median area), with posterior inner corner markedly inwardly produced and acute. Head in front view wider than long; angle of propodeum unmodified. Female with mesoscutum sparsely and coarsely punctured; with gaster closely punctured, coarsely so anteriorly. Male with antennal club, legs and tergumVII unmodified (simple); mesoscutum closely and coarsely punctured, gaster closely punctured, coarsely so anteriorly; head with mandibles, labrum and clypeus largely whitish-yellow, frons with small (often bilobed) marking immediately above clypeo-frontal suture.

Description.

Female (previously adequately described) ( Figs 42, 44, 46 ).

Male (previously adequately described) ( Figs 43, 45, 47, 48 ).

Material examined.

SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: W[estern] side of Pakhuispas nr Clanwilliam, 2000 ft. [32.08S, 18.54E], 3.xi.1966 (J.G. Rozen), 1 ♀ (det. J. M. Carpenter) [AMNH]; Clanwilliam District, 11 km W of Clanwilliam on road to Graafwater (32.09S, 18.44E), 2-8.x.1990 (F. W. and S. K. Gess), 2 ♀♀; Clanwilliam District, 5 km W [of] Clanwilliam [on] road to Graafwater (32.10S, 18.51E), 5-6.x.1988 (F. W., S.K. and D. W. Gess), 4 ♀♀, 1 ♂ (4 ♀♀ in violet fls of Microcodon sparsiflorum A. DC., Campanulaceae ); Clanwilliam District, Clanwilliam Dam (32.11S, 18.54E), 3-7.x.1988 (F. W., S. K. and D.W.Gess), 35 ♀♀, 12 ♂ (18 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ in violet fls of Wahlenbergia paniculata (Thunb.) A. DC., Campanulaceae ); same locality, 16-20.x.1989 (F. W. S. K. and D. W. Gess), 4 ♀♀, 1 ♂ (3 ♀♀ in violet fls of Wahlenbergia paniculata ); Clanwilliam Disttrict: Klein Alexandershoek (32.20S, 18.46E), 1-2.x.1990 (F. W. and S. K. Gess), 4 ♀♀ (in violet fls of Wahlenbergia cf. constricta V. Brehmer, Campanulaceae ); 29 km ENE of Ceres (Therons Pass) (33.15S, 19.35E), 29.xi.1989 (F. W., S. K. and H. W. Gess), 9 ♀♀ (in violet fls of Wahlenbergia ecklonii Buek, Campanulaceae ). - [all AMG].

Provenance of specimens examined by Richards (1962).

SOUTH AFRICA: WESTERN CAPE: Cape Town.

Geographic distribution.

Known from the west-central and north-western part of the Western Cape of South Africa, all presently listed collecting sites being in the Macchia (Fynbos) of Acocks (1953). The type locality, given as Cape Town, falls well outside the above distribution and it is therefore open to question whether it is correct.

Floral associations.

Campanulaceae ( Microcodon sparsiflorum A. DC., Wahlenbergia cf. constricta V. Brehmer, Wahlenbergia ecklonii Buek, Wahlenbergia paniculata (Thunb.) A. DC.). On four separate occasions and at three localities in the Clanwilliam District Quartinia parcepunctata was found together with Quartinia persephone . On three of these occasions the two species were visiting the same flowers ( Microcodon and Wahlenbergia ).

Nesting.

Unknown.

Discussion.

Richards (1962: 169) expressed a slight element of uncertainty with regard to the association of the sexes in stating "the male probably belongs to this species although the mesoscutum is very much more closely punctured". The presently examined material confirms the association of the sexes as described by Richards.

Figures

Figures 42 - 48. Quartinia parcepunctata 42 ♀, lateral view (x 10) 43 ♂, lateral view (x 10) 44 ♀, dorsal view (x 9) 45 ♂, dorsal view (x 9) 46 ♀, head, front view (x 16) 47 ♂, head, front view (x 17) 48 ♂, tergum VII, dorsal view (x 26).